Switch-stand.



No. 724,658. PATENTED APR. 7; 1903.".

A. BELLOWS. SWITGH STAND.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I 5 I I I I 3 fiumm 8 F 6' WITNESSES I INVENTOR %W@m I ma UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR B. BELLOWS, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH-STAN D.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,658, dated April 7,1903. Application filed September 3, 1902. Serial No. 121,949. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may cmwern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR B. BELLOWS, a citizen of the UnitedStates,-residin g at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented or discovered certain new and usefulImprovements in Switch-Stands, of which improvements the following is aspecification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements inswitch-stands, and has for its object a construction and combination ofparts whereby motion may be transmitted from a crank-arm operative inone plane to a crank-arm adapted to oscillate in a plane at right anglesthereto.

It is a further object of the invention to provide for the securing ofthe several parts of the switch-stand in operative relation by the coveror top portion of the case or shell.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved switch-box with a portion ofthe cover broken away. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the planeindicated by the line II II, Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectionalelevations on planes indicated, re spectively, by the lines III III andIV IV, Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views.

In the practice of my invention the mechanism, except theoperating-1ever, is inclosed within a case or shell consisting of abottom portion 1, provided on opposite sides with lugs or flanges 2, towhich the top or cover 3 is secured by bolts 4, said top or cover having laterally-projecting flanges 5, whereby the box or case may besecured on the ends of cross-ties or other suitable foundations.

The bottom portion of the box or case isprovided with a socket 6 for thereception of a journal 7 on the lower end of the transmitting-shaft 8.The upper end of this shaft is provided with a semispherical socket forthe reception of a spherical journal or ball 9 on the end of an arm 10.This socket has a portion of its side wall cut away to permit of theextension of the arm 10 therethrough, and side walls or wings 11 extendfrom the edges of the cut-away portion along each side of the arm, so asto afford a strong lateral bearing forthe arm during the operation ofthe switch.

The ball 9 is held in position in the socket of the shaft 8 by means ofa cap 12, having a semispherical socket therein, the edges of saidsocket being formed with projections or lugs fitting into correspondingrecesses formed around the edges of the socket of the shaft 8, asclearly shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5. The cap 12, which forms acontinuation of the shaft 8, is provided with shoulder 13, on which thecover of the case will bear and hold the cap 12 in position onthe shaftwhen the cover is bolted to thelower portion of the case or shell.- Thecap portion 12 is provided with a spindle 14, projecting up through thecover of the case or shell for the reception of the target 15.

The'outer end of the arm 10 is provided with a journal-pin 16, formed atan angle to the arm and fitting loosely within an opening in thecrank-arm 17, formed on or secured to the driving-shaft 18, which isshown with its journal portion arranged in suitable bearings 19, formedpartly in the lower portion of the case or shell and partly in thecover, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. On the outer end of thisdriving-shaft a notched disk 20 is secured, but may be formed integraltherewith, and a lever 21, providedwith a shoulder 22, is pivotallyconnected to the shaft in such manner that the shoulder 22 will projectinto the notch in the disk, and the lever will be free to moveindependent of the shaft for a distance equal to the distance betweenthe shoulders formed by notching the disk 20. By this construction theoperating hand-lever 21 can have a .movement through an arc ofapproximately ninety degrees (90) or from a horizontal to a verticalposition before the shoulder 22 will bear against the shoulders formedby notching the disk, so that no material labor is'required to raise thelever to a position in which power may be conveniently applied to shiftthe switch.

The shaft Sis provided with an arm 23, extending laterally therefrom andadapted to be connected to the switch-rod 24 by means of a pin 25. Thispin, whose lower portion extendsinto a slot 26 in the switch-rod 24, isI00 provided with a collar 27 about midway of its length and adapted torest upon the switchrod. The arm or extension 23 from the shaft 8 bearsupon this collar and prevents the pin from jumping out while inoperation.

In congregating the parts the switch-rod 24 will be first placed inposition, the case or shell on the switch-rod side being divided alongthe plane of the axis of the rod when in position. The connected pin isthen placed in position and the shaft 8 adjusted with its journal in thebearing-socket 6 and the opening in the laterally-extending arm fittingover the pin 25. The arm 10, with its journal-pin fitted in thecrank-arm 17 on the driving-shaft 18, is then placed in position, asshown in Fig. 4. The cap 12 of the shaft 8 is then placed in position,inclosing the ball on the arm 10, and the cover 3 of the case bolted inposition on the lower portion, thereby firmly to secure all the parts inoperative relation to each other.

By reference to Fig. 2 it-will be clearly seen that the several partsare so constructed and adjusted that the crank-arm will move in shiftingthe switch through an arc of approximately ninety degrees, (90,)although the operating-lever moves through an arc of one hundred andeighty degrees, (180.) By this construction and arrangement the axis ofthe journal-pin on the arm 10 will always be below the axis orcenterofrotation of the drivingshaft 15, so that there can be no dead-point orpoint wherein the crank-arm cannot be shifted by force applied to theswitch-rod through the running of a train through a closed switch orpower otherwise applied to the switch-rails. By this construction alldanger of injury to the switch operating mechanism from the trainpassing through a closed switch can be avoided.

While not necessary, it is preferred to employ wings 11 on the shaft 8,so as to provide a better bearing for the arm 10.

It will be observed that the radial slot or opening from the ball-socketin the shaft 8, formed in part by the wings 11, is elongated vertically,so as to permitof the vertical movement of the arm 10 when shifted bythe crank-arm 17. The ball-and-socket connection between the shaft 8 andarm 10 permits not only the vertical movement of said arm, but also itsaxial oscillation when being shifted by the crank-arm.

It is characteristic of my improved switch mechanism that all the partsintermediate of the switch-rails and the operating-lever are held inoperative relation to each other by the cover 2 of the case or shell,thereby avoiding the use of set-screws, keys, or other similar devices.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. A switch-stand having in combinationa sectional case or shell, a switch-rod, a vertical shaft connected tosaid rod, a driving-shaft provided with a crank-arm, and an arm havingpivotal connections with the vertical shaft and the crank-arm, saidparts being held in operative relation by the case or shell, sub--stantially as set forth.

2. A switch-stand having in combination a switch-rod, a vertical shaftconnected to said rod and an arm for operating said shaft, and havingaball and socket connected therewith, substantially as set forth.

3. A switch-stand having in combination a switch-rod, a vertical shaftconnected to said rod and provided with a circular socket in its upperend, an arm provided with a ball fitting in the socket in the shaft,said arm engaging the sides of a notch or recess extending from thesocket, substantially as set forth.

4. A switch-stand having in combination a switch-rod, a vertical shaftconnected to said rod and provided with a circular socket, an armprovided with a ball arranged in said socket, and a socketed capprovided with a spindle and connected to the shaft so as to r0- tatetherewith, substantially as set forth.

5. A switch-stand having in combination a switch-rod, a vertical shaftconnected to said rod and provided with a circular socket, an armprovided with a ball arranged in said socket, and said arm extendingthrough a notch or recess in the wall of the socket, and wings or sidebearings extending from the shaft alongside of said arm, substantiallyas set forth.

6. A switch-stand having in combination a switch-rod, a vertical shaftconnected to said rod, an arm having a ball-and-socket engagement withthe shaft and provided with a journal-pin, a driving-shaft provided witha crankarm engaging said journal-pin, substantially as set forth.

7. A switch-stand having in combination a switch-rod, a vertical shaftprovided with an arm extending out overthe rod, and a pin projectinginto said openings in said arm and rod, and provided with a collarlocated between the arm and rod, substantially as set forth.

8. A switch-stand having in combination a sectional case or shell, aswitch-rod extending into the case or shell, a vertical shaft having itslower end journaled in a bearing in the case or shell and connected tothe switch-rod, said shaft having spherical socket and a radial notch orrecess extending therefrom a cap provided with a spherical socket andinterlocking with the shaft, and having a spindle extending through thecover of the case or shell, said cover bearing on a shoulder on the cap,an arm provided with a ball at one end and having a journal at itsopposite end, a driving-shaft arranged in bearings in the case or shelland having a crank-arm engaging the journal on the arm, and a lever forrotating the driving-shaft, substantially as set forth.

9. A switch-stand having in combination a switch-rod, a shaft formed byinterlocking by the sections thereof, substantially as set 10 sectionsand connected to the switch-rod, and forth.

an arm having one end held in engagement In testiinony whereof I havehereunto set connected to the switch-rod, and an arm hav- DARWIN S.WOLCOTT,

with the shaft by the interlocking'sections I my hand. thereofsubstantially as set forth.

l0. Aiswitch-stand havingincombinationa l ARTHUR BELLOWS' switch-rod, ashaft formed by sections and l Witnesses:

ing one end held in engagement with theshaft l GEO. B. BLEMING.

